“I’m a big fan of school.” “I like getting involved in things.” “I’d like more books with fun facts on history, fun facts on science.” Have a look at this movie and see why I felt like Julian Taylor interviewed a dream team of students. Yes, they’re bright. Yes, they’re good kids. No, they’re not unusual! Kids don’t wake up in the morning and decide that they’re going to hate school if school is an engaging place where learning is exciting and participation is invited. This is one school library that is just such a place!

Emilia Quintana, documentation technician for Vincent Massey Collegiate’s school library in Montreal, was hired in September of 2014. She had a strong feeling that the school library that was now under her care needed some changes. Through the Culture in the Schools Program, Emilia was able to get funding to have an artist work with students to create a mural for the library.

The students interviewed in this film are a few of the young artists who were involved and who really enjoyed the experience. They talk about what they did and how they feel about the finished product. Finally, they respond to a question about what they would add to their library if money were no obstacle. Their answers might surprise you.

CLA library standards encourage us to make student participation in building school culture a goal to work towards and build upon. In her first year at Vincent Massey Collegiate, Emila Quintana certainly did just that, much to the delight of these students.